Wildfire near Stanley nearly doubles in size over weekend as evacuation orders remain

Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman

STANLEY (Idaho Statesman) — The Wapiti Fire successful Custer County astir doubled successful size complete nan play arsenic removal orders stay successful spot for parts of nan Stanley area.

The wildfire grew from 35,000 acres Friday to 68,457 acres Sunday, pinch 0% containment and 461 emergency unit moving to combat it, according to nan National Interagency Fire Center.

The fire, which started July 24 erstwhile a lightning onslaught created sparks adjacent Grandjean, progressed from eastbound of Stanley Lake toward Idaho Highway 21, according to NIFC. County officials closed Highway 21 from Stanley to Lowman to let occurrence management.

The Custer County Sheriff’s Office issued removal orders for residents adjacent Stanley Lake Friday and encouraged different Stanley residents to beryllium fresh to time off should conditions worsen. Those removal instructions remained successful spot Sunday, nan Wapiti Fire Information Office told nan Idaho Statesman by phone.

The American Red Cross of Idaho and East Oregon opened an removal halfway Saturday astatine nan Stanley Community Center for those who needed a safe place. The organization halfway is recovered astatine 510 Eva Falls Ave.

“Leave without delay,” nan sheriff’s agency said successful a Facebook post. “It is unsafe to enactment and frighten nan information of you, your family and emergency responders. Emergency responders whitethorn not beryllium capable to thief you if you take to stay.”

The occurrence halfway said that Saturday was nan area’s first time without a reddish emblem informing since Wednesday. A reddish emblem informing is issued erstwhile lukewarm temperatures, particularly debased humidity and beardown winds, harvester to create nan cleanable conditions to summation occurrence risk, according to nan National Weather Service’s website.

That break allowed firefighters to “make bully advancement connected assessing existent conditions and processing strategical suppression plans” arsenic they continued to protect structures adjacent nan fire, nan Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team said successful a Sunday report.

“The existent attraction is to proceed protecting structures and communities pinch dozer and manus lines, aerial resources, and hose lays to protect nan values astatine risk,” nan study said. “This is simply a afloat suppression fire, and opportunities to incorporate nan fire’s separator pinch power lines will beryllium aggressively pursued.”

The Wapiti Fire Information Office did not return nan Idaho Statesman’s petition for much information.

Smoke from nan Wapiti wildfire billows crossed Custer County. | Custer County Sheriff’s Office